Lighting control apparatus



June 1939- G. R. PFLASTERER 2,161,681; 4

LIGHTING CONTROL APPARATUS Filed March '16, 1937 v Operaled Cor; zacl INVENTOR George [la-stare)" HIS ATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHTING CONTROL APPARATUS Application March 16,

5 Claims.

My invention relates to lighting control apparatus, and is particularly adapted for, though in no way limited to, the fioodlighting of manually operable railway track switches. More specifically, it relates to means for illuminating at night a hand-operated railway track switch and the area adjacent the switch so that the manipulation and inspection of the switch and associated apparatus after dark will be expedited and so that the hazards which may be involved in such manipulation and inspection will be minimized.

I will describe two forms of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a diagrammatic view illustrating one form of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modification of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and alsoembodying my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the reference character W designates a railway track switch of the wellknown dual control type. That is, the switch W can be operated by a power mechanism M or a manually operable lever H in accordance with the position of link I. For controlling link I, I provide a selector lever S which has a normal or left-hand position and a reverse or right-hand position. The selector lever S also controls a contact 2. When the selector lever S is in its normal position, link I connects switch W with mechanism M and engages contact 2 with contact 3 whereas, when selector lever S occupies its reverse position, link I connects switch W "to hand-throw lever H and engages contact 2 with contact 4.

For illuminating the switch S and the area adjacent the switch, I provide a lamp F which is preferably of the fioodlight type. For controlling the lamp F, I provide a control relay R. That is, when the relay R is energized, a circuit will be completed for lamp F over a path which passes from terminal B of a suitable source of energy through front contact 5 of relay R and lamp F to terminal C of the same source of energy.

For controlling the relay R in cooperation with contact 2, I provide a slow acting device TE and a light sensitive device P. The slow acting device TE is here shown as a thermal relay having a slow pick-up characteristic. The light sensitive device P, as here shown, comprises a photoelectric generator X exposed to the atmosphere adjacent the switch W and an auxiliary relay XR connected to the generator X. The generator X has a property of converting the energy of light rays 1937, Serial No. 131,141

decreases below this predetermined value,the gen- 10 erator X will not supply suflicient current to maintain relay XR in its picked up condition.

Assuming that selector lever S is moved to its reverse position to condition the switch W for manual operation when the relay XR is released, 5

that is, after dark, it will be apparent that the control relay R will be energized by a circuit which passes from terminal B through contact 24, back contact 6 of relay XR, and relay R to terminal C. The picking up of relay R will, of 20 course, energize fioodlight F over front contact 5 of relay R so that the switch and the area adjacent the switch will be illuminated. When, however, the selector lever S is restored to its normal position, the relay R will not become released immediately because of a stick circuit which passes from terminal B through back contact I of thermal relay TE, front contact 8 of relay R, and relay R to terminal C. This feature insures that the floodlight F will remain lighted for a given 30 interval of time after the switch is restored to its initial condition so that the switch and associated apparatus may be properly inspected. When contact 2 is in engagement with contact 3 and relay R is picked up, a circuit will be established 35 for thermal relay TE which circuit passes from terminal B through contact 23, front contact 9 of relay R, and thermal relay TE to terminal C. At the expiration of a given time interval when relay TE completes its operation, back contact 1 of relay 'TE will become open to release relay R so that floodlight F will be extinguished.

Referring now to- Fig. 2, the reference character I0 designates a padlock operated contact which is controlled in such a manner that when the switch is properly locked by the insertion of the usual switch padlock, (not shown) in its keeper (not shown) the contact ID will be in engagement with contact ll whereas, when the padlock is withdrawn from its keeper to condition the switch for manipulation, the contact ill will be in engagement with contact [2. It will be apparent that, contact I0 can be substituted for contact 2 to control the fioodlight F in a manner similar to that just described for the appara- When 5 tus shown in Fig. 1. In other words, when the switch is unlocked to permit manual operation, the floodlight F will become energized and will remain energized .for a given interval of time after the switch is restored to its locked condition. The padlock'operated contact shown in Fig. 2 may be operated by the padlock usually applied to an ordinary hand-throw switch or may be controlled by a padlock which locks selector lever S. The mechanism for operating contact In is not shown because such mechanisms are well'- known. One form of mechanism for. operating a padlock contact is shown in" United States Letters Patent No. 2,042,873 granted to Paul F.

Willard, June 2, 1 936, for Railway-traific control;

ling apparatus.

Although I have herein shownand described,

onlytwo forms of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changesvalue to pick up said conrol relay when said .control relay including said second contact and .eration to energize said slow pick-up relay.

switch is conditioned for manual operation, a slowpick-up relay, means including a back contact of said slow pick-up relay formaintaining said control relay in its picked up condition, and means effective when saidcontrol relay is picked up and said switch is in condition for power op- 2. In combination with a dual controlld 'railway track switch, a first contact which is closed when said switch is in condition for power opera- 7 tion and a second contact which is closed when said switch is in condition for manual operation, a photoelectric generator exposed to daylight adjacent said switch, an auxiliary relay which be- .comes picked up or released according as"the amount of daylight received by said photoelectric generator. is above or below respectively aj'given value, a control relay, means for energizing said a back contact of said auxiliary relay, a slow acting device having a contact which is closed when said device is in its initial condition but which becomes opened when said device'attains its op- I erated condition, means including said contact of the slow acting device and a front contact of said control relay for maintaining the control relay in its picked up condition, means including said first contact and a'iront contact of said control relay for initiating the operation of said device, a fioodlight for illuminating said switch, and

means including a front contactof said control relay for energizing said floodlight. I I

3. In combination with a dual controlled railway track switch, a first contact which is closed when said switch is in condition for power operation and a second contact which is closed when said switch is in condition for manual operation, a photoelectric generator exposed to daylight adjacent said switch, an auxiliary relay which becomes picked up or released according as the amount of daylight received by said photoelectric' generator is above or below respectively a given value, a control relay, means for energizing said control relay including said second contact and a back contact of said auxiliary relay, a I normally deenergized slow pick-up relay, means including a back contact of said slow pick-up relay and a front contact of said control relay for maintaining the control relay in its picked up condition, a circuit for energizing said slow pick-up relay including said first contact and a front contact of said control relay, and a floodlight for illuminating the switch governed by said control relay,

4. In combination, a railway track switch, ,a fioodlight for illuminating the railway track switch, a control relay operative when energized to supply current to said floodlamp, a member movable between a normal and an operated position for controlling said switch, photosensitive means responsive to the amount of daylight at 'saidswitch, a pick-up circuit controlled by said member and said photosensitive means for sup- 0 plying current to energize said control relay, a

stick circuit controlled by said control relay for also supplying current to energize said control relay, and means controlled by said control relay mined time interval after movement of said member to one of .its positions,

5. In combination, a railway track switch, a

dual selector lever having a normal position in which it conditionsthe'switch for power operation .and having a hand-throw position in which it conditions the switch for manual operation, a

floodlamp for illuminating the switch, a control relay, operative when energized to establish at circuit for supplying current to the floodlamp,

photosensitive means responsive to the amount of .daylight at said switch, apick-up circuit for supplying current to energize said control relay, 7 the pick-up circuit being .controlled by the photo-' 50 sensitive means and by the selector leverand be- 'ing' complete when and only when the selector lever is in the hand-throw position and the daylightat said switch is less than a predetermined value, a stick circuit for supplying current to energize said control relay, said stick circuit being established on energization of the control relay,

"a timing device operative -a predetetmined time interval after the supply of current theretoto interrupt the stick circuit for the control relay;

and a circuit for supplying current to said tim- Ii'ng device, said last-named circuit being complete when and only when the control relay is energized and the selector lever is in the normal position.

GEORGE R. PFLASTERER.

and by said member for also controlling said stick circuit, said means being operative to in-c terrupt said stick circuit only after a predeter- 

